Valmiki Ramayana 2.55.8 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 55, Shloka 8

चित्रकूटमार्गोपदेशः

Instructions for the Chitrakuta Route and the Yamuna Crossing

Devanagari script

समासाद्य तु तं वृक्षं वसेद्वातिक्रमेत वा।क्रोशमात्रं ततो गत्वा नीलं द्रक्ष्यथ काननम्।।।।पलाशबदरीमिश्रं रम्यं वंशैश्च यामुनैः।

Transliteration

samāsādya tu taṃ vṛkṣaṃ vased vātikrameta vā | krośamātraṃ tato gatvā nīlaṃ drakṣyatha kānanam || palāśabadarīmiśraṃ ramyaṃ vaṃśaiś ca yāmunaiḥ ||

Translation

Wenn ihr jenen Baum erreicht habt, könnt ihr dort rasten oder weiterziehen. Geht von dort nur eine Krośa weiter, so werdet ihr einen lieblichen, dunklen Wald erblicken, durchmischt mit Palāśa- und Badarī-Bäumen sowie mit Bambus an den Ufern der Yamunā.

Word by Word

• saḥ: that
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• panthāḥ: path
• panthāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pathin/panthan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• citrakūṭasya: of Chitrakuta
• citrakūṭasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citrakūṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• gataḥ: traversed
• gataḥ: Kriya-samānādhikaraṇa (क्रियासमानाधिकरण/Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gam (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: Past participle (क्त); Masculine, Nominative, Singular; predicate adjective with panthāḥ (traversed)

• subahuśaḥ: many times
• subahuśaḥ: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: su-bahuśas (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (प्रकारवाचक): very many times

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartr̥ (कर्ता as agent in passive sense)/Karana (करणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; 1st-person pronoun

• ramyaḥ: pleasant
• ramyaḥ: Kriya-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ramya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; predicate adjective of panthāḥ

• mārdava-yuktaḥ: endowed with gentleness
• mārdava-yuktaḥ: Kriya-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mārdava (प्रातिपदिक) + yukta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; tatpuruṣa: mārdavena yuktaḥ (endowed with softness/ease)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• vana-dāvaiḥ: by forest-fires
• vana-dāvaiḥ: Karana (करणम्/Instrument in exclusion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक) + dāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; tatpuruṣa: vane dāvaḥ (forest-fire)

• vivarjitaḥ: devoid of
• vivarjitaḥ: Kriya-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-varj (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: Past participle (क्त); Masculine, Nominative, Singular; predicate adjective: 'devoid of' (takes instrumental)

Context

Reaching that tree, you may tarry or proceed further. A krosa from there, you will see a beautiful forest filled with dark trees mixed with Palasas and badaris and bamboos on the Yamuna.

Characters & Entities

• nyagrodha (implied: that tree)
• kānana (forest)
• badarī
• vaṃśa (bamboo)
• Yamunā (regional descriptor)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma is expressed as mindful travel and restraint: resting when needed and moving on when appropriate—choosing actions that protect one’s dependents and sustain the larger vow of exile.

What is the narrative situation?

Guha gives practical landmarks and distances: a rest-point at a tree and, one krośa ahead, a distinctive forest by the Yamunā.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Steady endurance (dhṛti) supported by practical discernment in the journey.